Fan de-icing or anti-icing means



Aug. 27, 1946. E. P. PALMATIER FAN DE-ICING OR ANTI-ICING MEANS Filed Sept. 3, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

w d h k f ATTORMfK Aug. 27, 1946.

E. P. PALMATIER FAN- DE-I CING .OR ANTI-ICING MEANS Filed Sept. 3, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Au 27 1946 2,406,473 if UNIT D STATES PATENT.

I 2,406,473 FAN f n-min on ANTI-ICING MEANS 3' I Everett 1. Palrnatier, Upper lVIontclair, .,i1as--* 7 r signorto Curtiss-Wrightflorporation, a-corporation of Delaware Applicat ion'september 3, 19,43, Serial ir 501,157

"liquid-medium serving either tomelt such ice as 'ma gr-ha've'been formed on thefbladesor to pre- :vent theformation of icethereon.

Further in accordance with my invention, the

aforesaid liquid mediumpasse througha'eonduit 1 calm. (o1..244-'-1s4) system under the influence of centrifugalaction E or independently thereof and engages the exterior surfaces .of the blades for the useful purpose stated-above. I Various other objects, advantages and features ;of='-'my -invention will become apparent trom' the t t I "to theicowling 2 andtoga housing lsfastened -following detailed description.

'Myinventionr'esides in the-fan-de-iCing or'antiicing means, arrangements and combinations of :thecharacters hereinafter described andclaimed. For an understanding of myinvention and for an illustration of one of the forms thereoL'ref' 'er nce-is to be-hadto the accompanying drawings, inwhichz' Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, showing one form of my invention; r Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, *partly "in elevation, taken on the line '2-2 of Fig. 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a transverse, verticalsectional-view, partly in elevation, taken onthe line 3-3' of Fig,

2 looking in the :direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view, partly'in section, showing a feature of the invention; and

.Fig..'5 isan enlarged elevational view, partly in section, showing a modification of theinvention.

Referring to Fig. l, l designates the aircraft engine with which, in suitable man'nenthe usual circular cowling 2 is associated. The engine operates the propellershaft 3 which extends forwardlybeyond the engine nosed and there carries the propeller hub '5 having the propeller iblades 6' projecting therefrom. 'Assooiatedwith the hub 5 is a housing I for the motor and associated apparatusope'rative, as known in the art, for changing the pitch of'the propeller blades 6. A spinner 8 encloses the'hub -5-and housing '1, the blades 6 extending through the respective openings provided therefor'in the 's pinnerdwhich, in a conventional manner, is securedto the hub-5 as indicated at 9 whereby said hub Sand the spinner ner 8 in any suitable mannerso as to be rotatable.

therewith as a unit. As herein shown, a circular uid from the ring other around the periphery of the stator."

connecting memberli-is' the respective angular sides thereof engaging'the spinner'ii and disk iii and the surfaces WhiChithuS engage being riveted, welded or-otherwisesecured together'in any suitablemanner.

Projecting" from and carried by thedisk flange suitable manner to the rotor blades-B1 In the f example shovvn, the

thereof. y, x When the aircraft engine lis in operation, the shaft 3, the hub 5 the propeller blades Bfand the spinner '8 rotate asa unit. The disk In flange 1! rotate with'the'spinner.Band, t the rotor blades 13 direct-a stream 9 yiardly toward the engine I of. air-,rea'chessaid engine I suitable-manner to the engine}! v or the n is suitablyfdeflected .by thestatoribladesBL '1,

In accordanc'ewith the in ention, r ea: an'gee ment described above has associated thel with suitable means for supplying.deeicing'liduid to one or both of .knownil as a slinger ring-is riveted, Welded ,or otherwise suitably securedto the ,rear faceof the disl li,.the ring Mlbelngshapedto form a circu lar chamber open. throughoutitslength, at thew inner sidestherofr .A conduit 15 which i ehored'in position in any-suitable n annen far I example, by attachment to the engine nose :4 is. supplied withthe de-icing liquid, the latteribeing discharged from said conduit [5 into the ringlA at any suitablerate. r

-A' plurality ofpipes .IB supported in suitable manner, for-example,;by seating the respective opposite ends thereofin passages formedin-the ring M and-in thedisk flange Hare utilized for passing Ge-icing liquid from'the ring Hi .and 'discharging it at the leading edges of the respective rotor blades- B at or adjac ent the roots thereof. In the example-shown andprefer'ablm-one pipe I6 is provided forea'chrotor-bladeB.'

A pluralityfiofpipes I! s pp'ortedffor example, in :the same manner as described WithrespQect to thepipes 6 are utilized'for passing de-icingiliqf m and discharging it so that it engages the leadin edges of the stator" blades Bl at or adjacent the roots thereof. In the form of the inventionshowmfour ofthe pipesfi'l a ieprovided an ithese are symmetrically relatedgtnt: ac l tilize'd for thispurpos'e,

nearest-cashew 1 the fans describedabove. ll dthi's end, as shown-in Figs. 1 4; inclusive, a magma,

"How i the de-icingliquid from the ring .lspective bla I ever, it will be understood that more or less of the pipes; I 'Imaybe provided as desired. 7

During operation of the aircraft engine as described, the ring I4 togetherwith the pipes I6 and I1 rotate as a unit with the disk In and its V When it becomes desirable to operate'the de' icing system, a suitable de-icin'g liquid such, for

example, as alcohol, glycerine or the likeis sup: 7 plied to the pipe I under suitable pressure.

From the pipe I 5, the de-icing liquid passes into the ring I4 and, by centrifugal action, is distributed throughout-the circumferential length therea of. Accordingly, the ring I4 serves as a chamber providinga source of supply of the de-icing liquid for the pipe I6 and I! through which the deicing liquid'passes to the roots of the rotor and stator blades B and BI, said de-icing liquid passing through the pipes I5 and I6 and being distributedalong the surfaces of the respective rotor blades Bfrom the leading edges thereof by centrifugal action as will be understood.

hereinbefore stated, it i desirable that one of the pipes. I6 be provided for each rotor blade B. 'However, as regards the stator blades BI and, fas stated, a substantially smaller number ofthe pipes "are provided than there are blades BI. .As will be understood from the foregoingdescription, the pipes .I I sweep past, the roots of the'stator blades BI and, since each of the pipes I1 is traversed by vthe de-icingv liquid,;it results that each stator'blade BI receives its share of the totalsupply of de -icing liquid which is distributed by the pipes I'I.; ,The air stream produced b the rotor blades 3 aid in. the distribution of the 'de-icing liquid along the surfaces of the stator blades BI. Furthensai-dstator blades BI may receive some de-icingj liquid directly from the roto blades B.

across the fan blades B from theleading edges to the trailing edges thereof and some of this deicing liquid may pass onto the statorblades BI.

, Further, some of the de-icing liquid is entrained in the airstream produced by the rotor and carried thereb into engagement with'the surfaces of the stator blades B I In view of the foregoing description, it will be come apparent that, as regardseither or both the rotor or stator of a, fan cooling arrangement for an aircraft engine, a I provide arrangements for supplying'liquid to"the blades in proper proportions to efiect the desired de-icing action.

With the forms of my invention herein disclosed, theUde-icingliquid is applied; effectively icing wherein that ice is melted which, previously,

hadbeen formed onthe' fanblades-and said expression shall also beconsidered as. describing an operation wherein the fan blades are subjected H to the action of an agent which positively prevents the formation of ice thereon. a

.,While the inventionhas been described with respect to certain particular preferred examples I which give satisfactory results, it will be under 7 With the'form of 'myinvention hereinbefore q described, the ring I4 together with th pipes I6 and I1 rotate as a unit in order to effect the deicing operation. Each pipe I6 is immovable with irespect'to the rotor blade B with which it is associatedg However, the. pipes I1 rotate with respect to. the stator blades BI and the de-icing liquid is distributed therefromonto the latter. a r With; the form of -my invention referredto above, pip,es I Ii have been described for conveying V I4 tothe. blades B. Itshall be understood that not 'to belimited to said pipes I6. 7 diameter of thering I4' may besuch that it is located closely adjacent the'roots of the blades B passes to the reand, if so, the liquid preferably a des B through orifices or nozzles Obviously, the

formed in said ring I 4;

Referring to Fig. 5, I have shown a modification of the invention wherein a'pipe I8 is fixed to the cowling 2 or equivalent structure for fixing said pipe IBwith respect'to' the rotor blades B. The pipe I8 terminates in an angular section I8a provided preferablywith a plurality of nozzles I8b which-face towardthe'leadlng edges of the respective rotor blades B as they arrive 'in'succession opposite the pipe sectio I 8a. A will be understood, 'de-iclng liquid-may*be stored in a tank I9 and, the de-icing liquid may-be supplied through the d V under suitable pressure and ejected continuously from the nozzles I8b. As the rotor 1'0? tates, each of thebladesB thereof receives a por-.

tion of the total supply of, the de-icing .liquid which is thus ejected from the nozzles-I8b.. For

ward movement ofthe fan blades B through the air causes distribution of the .dei icing. liquid the invention is under-the control of a pump 20,.

stood by'those skilled in'the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is in tended therefore in the appended claim to cover allsuch changes and modifications. I 1

What is claimed as new and desired to bese curedby Letters'Patent is: In an aircraft, iii-combination, a' streamlined spinner, an annular'cowling concentrically ,sur-

" rounding said spinneriand defining therewith an edges of said rotaryfan blades,

number than the number. of blades leading from annular air entrance channel, a rotary'fan comprising a hub whose surface is contiguou with thespinner surface, having a large pluralityof fan blades extending-therefrom and sweeping said annular channel, a stator fan comprising a large plurality of stationary fan blades disposed in a plane parallel to the rotar blades and extending across'said annular entrance in series relation withthe rotating blades, an annular collector within 'said'rotary fan hub rotatable therewith; means to feed a de-icing fluid thereto, ducts leading from said collector outwardly to points adjacent the roots of the leading edges of the several rotary fan blades for conductin fluid fromsaid collector for spraying, under the influence ofcentrifugal force, a spray of fluidalong the-leading and ducts fewer in said collector to points on said hub close to the leadingv edges of said stator fan bladesfor spraying, understhe influence of centrifugal force, a

- uniform spray offiui-d in advance of all the lead ing edges of said statorblades as the .rotaryfan hub rotates relativeflthereto, whereby. the sheet of spray thus formed impinges, atleast in,part, upon the all of the stator fan blades for removal EVERETT r. PALMATIEaQQ: 

